Metal container



April 10, 1934. l w. F. PUNTE ET AL uEgrAL CONTAINED Filed Jan. 5, 19332 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Am 6. Killian: E'Buhi'g? Chat 1e: JAulbach, 1 MPPx;

April 10, 1934. w. F. PUNTE Er AL 1,954,748

METAL CONTAINER Filed Jan. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I o I 25 Fig.4. 21

12 7 VACUUM 6 4 3mm VfilZiamEBunZ'e, Chades .IAuZIgach are Patented Apr.10, 1934 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,054,748 METAL CONTAINER WilliamF. Punte and Charles J. Aulbach, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors toContinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a metalcontainer and more particularly to a container having means whereby itmay be readily sealed after the container has been placed under vacuum.

In the patent granted to James T. ONeil August 25, 1931, No. 1,820,481,there is shown and described a container and method of vacuumizing thesame. I1. this container there is an aperture in the wall thereofthrough which the interior of the container is placed under vacuum.Within the pocket formed in the wall of the container is a sealingmaterial so disposed that when the pocket is deformed the sealingmaterial will close the aperture through which the vacuum is drawn onthe container. The present invention has to do with improvements in thetype of container shown in this patent.

An object of the invention is to provide a container wherein the sealingmaterial for closing the aperture in the container is on the exterior ofthe container, and so disposed relative to the aperture in the wall ofthe container that atmospheric pressure against the sealing materialwill close said aperture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal container of theabove type wherein there is a metal part exterior of the sealingmaterial which may be deformed for forcing the sealing material into theaperture for permanently sealing the container.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown a container embodying theimprovements and a portion of an apparatus for vacuumizing the containerand permanently sealing the same.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the container.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the container.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the closing means ashaving deformed the metal and sealed the opening through which thevacuum was drawn.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the sealed container.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of the sealed container.

In carrying out the invention a container is constructed which includesa body portion having the ends joined thereto by double seaming. Onewall of the container, preferably one of the end walls, is provided withan opening through which the interior of the container can be placedunder vacuum. On the outer face of the container and overlying saidopening is a disk of sealing material, preferably rubber, which hasopenings there through staggered relative to the opening in thecontainer, so that when the container is placed under vacuum atmosphericpressure against the outer face of the sealing disk or valve willtemporarily close the aperture or opening in the end of the container.Attached to the container, and

housing this sealing disk, is a metal cap also provided with openings soas to permit the vacuum to be drawn on the interior of the container. Adie-punch is provided for deforming or shaping this cap so as to forcethe sealing disk underlying the same into the aperture and permanentlyclose the aperture, and thus seal the container. This punch as shown isassociated with the head through which a vacuum' is drawn on thecontainer. It may be operated so as to seal the container before thecontainer in the region of the opening or aperture therethrough isexposed to atmospheric pressure.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the container includes a bodyportion 1 having an end 2 secured'thereto by the usual double seam 3.There is a bottom end similarly secured to the container. The doubleseams each are provided with a sealing material so thatthe jointsbetween the ends and the body of the container are sealed.

The end 2 is shaped so as to provide an inset portion 4 having anannular pocket 5 and a central dome-shaped portion 6. At the center ofthis dome-shaped portion 6 the metal is bent in wardly to form a recess7, and an opening or aperture 8 is provided in the bottom wall of thisrecess.

A metal cap or housing 9 has attached thereto an elastic disk 10,preferably of rubber. This housing 9 is shaped so as to provide anannular shoulder 11. The sealing disk 10 is placed thereagainst and theedge portion 12 of the housing is rolled or curled inwardly so as tobear against the sealing disk and firmly clamp the same against theshoulder 11. The sealing disk is provided with openings l3, l3therethrough. The housing or cap 9 is provided with openings 14. Thiscap or housing carrying the elastic disk 10 is placed on the containerwith the rolled portion of the housing in the pocket 5. The metal of thecontainer end is then forced inwardly at 15 so as to overlie the outerwall forming the shoulder 11, and this firmly unites the housingor cap 9to the container end. The dome-shaped portion 6 projects upwardly intothe cap and contacts with the disk stretching the same so that normallyit is in tight contact with the upper face of the domeshaped portion 6.

There is sufficient room between the top of the cap and the dome so thatthe flexible disk 10 may be lifted from contact with the dome when theair 'or gas within the container is forcibly extracted therefrom througha vacuum creating apparatus.

. The punch 22 has a cylindrical shank 23 fitting the bearing 21 andhaving a sealed connection thereto. At the lower end of the punch is atapered portion 24.

The head 16 is placed in contact with the end wall of the container andengages said wall so that the cap or housing 9 is enclosed within thechamber 18. When the vacuum creating apparatus is connected to this head16 air or gas will be drawn from the container passing out through theaperture 8, thence through the openings 13 in the sealing disk which arestaggered relative to the aperture 8, and thence through the openings 14in the top wall of the casing or housing 9. This lifts the disk out ofcontact with the dome 6 as shown in Figure 1 and the container may beplaced under vacuum. If the vacuum closing head is removed from thecontainer, atmospheric pressure through the air entering the openings 14and bearing against the outer face of the disk will force said diskagainst the -dome and close the aperture 8 so that the container will beretained under the vacuum placed thereon even after the vacuum head hasbeen removed. It may be desirable, however, to permanently close theaperture before removing the vacuum head, and this can be accomplishedby forcing the punch downward against the casing or housing 9 anddeforming the same so as to force the central portion 25 of the diskinto the recess 7 as clearly shown in Figures 4 to 6. When the punch isremoved, the metal will retain its deformed position as shown in Figures5 and 6, and this will hold the sealing material in the recess '7 so asto close and permanently seal the container. The container as shown inFigures 2 and 3, where it is temporarily sealed by the atmosphericpressure on the outer face of the disk, may also be permanently sealedthrough the operation of the punch such as that shown in connection withthe vacuum head. All that is necessary is to deform a central portion ofthe cap 9 so as to press the sealing disk into the recess I as shown inFigures 5 and 6.

It will be noted from the above description that the sealing disk is onthe exterior of the.end wall of the container so that the contents ofthe container has little contact therewith. It will also be noted thatthe sealing disk is attached to the casing or housing forming a unittherewith prior to its attachment to the container, and this greatlyaids in the assembling of the parts. Again it will be noted that the capor housing carrying the sealing disk is attached to the container endmerely by a bending of the metal in the container end. No solderwhatever is used in the forming of applicants container or in thesealing of the same. It will also be noted that applicants containerdoes not have to be sealed permanently while it is still under theinfluence of the vacuum creating means. It may be disconnected therefromand retain its vacuum through the atmospheric pressure bearing on thesealing disk until said container is subjected to a separate closingoperation for deforming the metal and permanently sealing the container.

It will be obvious that minor changes in the details of construction andthe arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A container comprising a body portion having ends joined thereto byseaming, one of said ends having a depression formed therein, the

bottom wall of which is domed outwardly and provided with an aperture, acap having an elastic sealing disk attached thereto secured in saiddepression, said sealing disk having openings therethrough out ofalinement with the aperture in the container so that when said disk ispressed against the dome the aperture will be closed, said cap at theupper portion thereof being normally spaced from said sealing disk andbeing adapted when deformed inwardly to permanently clamp said sealingdisk against the dome for closing the aperture and sealing thecontainer.

2. A container comprising a body portion having ends joined thereto byseaming, one of said ends having a depression centrally thereof, thebottom wall of which is domed outwardly and provided with an inwardlybent portion forming a recess centrally of the dome, said recess portionhaving an aperture in the bottom wall thereof, a cap and an elasticsealing disk secured to said cap by a bending of the metal of the cap,said disk having openings out of alinement with the aperture in the endand said cap having openings, said cap having the outer wall thereofnormally spaced from the dome so as to permit the disk to move away fromthe dome and a vacuum to be drawn on the container, said wall beingadapted when deformed inwardly to press the sealing disk intothe recessfor permanently closing the opening and sealing the container.

WILLIAM F. PUNTE. CHARLES J. AULBACH.

